Where I can tell stories, relate experiences and pass along tips discovered while doing research on my family; through volunteer activities, including as an Online Parish Clerk; and from projects completed as a genealogical consultant.

Tuesday, 22 November 2016

A Ghoulish Surprise in a Parish Register

I
was searching for burial information for members of one branch of my family
recently and came across a disturbing note in the burial register for St Paul,
Shadwell parish, tower Hamlets borough, in Middlesex.

The
entry read: 1781 Septr 18 – Mary Parker a
Child twelve days old kept by her Parents in a Closet 2 years unburied and
would not then have buried her, but as they were moving from ye House in King
David Lane.

I
have looked at thousands of pages of entries in parish registers, and found
some sad cases, particularly dealing with children, but I had never seen such a
record as this one.

It
is difficult to imagine why the body of an infant would be kept at all, let
alone for such a time period.

We
do know that there had been a law that required that the dead be wrapped in
wool shrouds from 1666 onward. That had to more to do with supporting the
national wool industry than any religious reason. These are evidenced by the
word “affidavit” in the burial registers indicating such a wrap had been used.
By the late 18th century many parishes were not enforcing the act
although for paupers it had generally been ignored anyway. This burial register did note that the burials were all with Affidavits.

Many
parishes charged fees for burials that, while not necessarily excessive might
have been more than poor families could afford. Could this family not been able
to afford a burial? Could they have forgotten about it after several months?
That’s hard to imagine.

Could
the child have been conceived and born out of wedlock? And then its death
hidden?

It
is interesting that the child had a name but not a coffin.

I
have not tracked down the family after this burial date. The parents’ names were
not recorded so we don’t know whether they had other children or even whether
this child had been baptized. And since they moved away, we don’t know where
their new residence was. There was a 17 January 1781 baptism for a five-month
old Samuel Parker whose parents were Samuel and Mary Parker, and who lived on King
David Lane. They seem to be the most likely family of little Mary. Since they are
also not part of my family, I won’t likely pursue a search for them.

Some
interesting and surprising things turn up in parish registers. This is among
the strangest I have seen, though. And just a bit ghoulish, too!

Wayne
Shepheard is a volunteer with the Online Parish Clerk program in England, handling
four parishes in Devon, England. He has published a number
of articles about various aspects of genealogy in several family history
society journals. He has also served as an editor of two such publications.
Wayne provides genealogical consulting services through his business, Family History Facilitated.

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Miller-Watson Family Ca 1886

The photo in the background of this website is of the Miller-Watson Family, taken in Manhattan, Kansas, USA, around 1886. My great-grandfather, Isaac Mayfield Miller, is in the back row, second from the right. My 2nd great-grandmother, Hannah Tunstal (Mayfield) Miller-Watson, is seated front-centre. The other individuals are all of Hannah's other children from both of her marriages.

About Me

Wayne has pursued family history research for a number of decades, on
his own behalf and for others. He volunteers as an Online Parish Clerk,
handling four parishes in Devon, England. Wayne has also been active with a number of family history societies and is the past editor of two family history society journals. He is also an author of several articles
published in a number of different genealogical journals and has made
presentations at genealogical conferences. Following a long and successful
career as a geologist in the oil & gas industry, Wayne now pursues
genealogy as a hobby and a second line of work through his business, Family
History Facilitated.

Wayne is a native Calgarian and a descendant of many immigrants to
southern Alberta who originated in England, Scotland, Germany, the United
States and possibly other areas not yet determined. He actively explores many
family branches spread across Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and
Europe.